1978 International/Carpenter School Bus Update

[@shanewatkins5322]

Enjoying these videos of classic school buses. I am a visually impaired listener. Your voice reminds me of somebody. The way you tell us what is happening sort of makes me think of a famous television personality, Mr. Fred Rogers. Keep up the great work on those old buses

[@TheBlu04]

I've been watching your videos since 2010, the first time I got into school and saw your bus videos I have been a fan ever since then. You were the encouragement to get me in being a school bus driver. Now I am looking back at these videos and I wish you were here with us. We miss you, I hope your doing well and safe from COVID-19

[@TheBlu04]

I'm 16 in Okaloosa County, FL now, my love for these big yellow boxes on wheels comes to their wide variety of variations

[@johnny-cc4in]

Takes me back to my days of bus rides in elementary school...'72 to '79.

[@TheSpazModic]

Speaking of heater issues...I remember when my high school science group took our privately-owned Loadstar / Superior bus ('73?) out on a campout during the 1993 Storm of the Century. The snow was blowing sideways here in FL. Our instructor tried to get the heat working with the help of a local mechanic, but for whatever reason couldn't. The next morning we plowed fallen trees out of our way on our exit from the woods. Just last year I ran into my old instructor and asked him about the bus...he's still got it! It's rusting in peace on Galveston Island.

[@spresc2180]

About 4-6 weeks ago I commented on a video about silver migration problems in the IF cans. I was going to add that I missed the school bus videos which had not been done in quite some time. This one made my day & I'm looking forward to more.

[@arthurfox1629]

I remember when I was in school, my bus driver drove an early 70's International. The bus I rode had a standard transmission and had grab bars at the top of the steps on either side of the isle that went from the ceiling to the floor rather than those big cushions. Also, the steering wheel had 4 spokes. I always loved the design of those older Loadstars. You have a beautiful bus. Wish you could've saved the one that you said went to the junkyard, but at least you were able to save this beauty.

[@rangerpru]

brings back memories of my school days. my bus route was the shortest in the district so we always had the oldest, hand-me-down bus in the fleet. in the winter, the "best seats" were those closest to the heaters.

[@kaiyoshi2243]

Nice to see this bus is still going. I used to drive an old 1700 LoadStar Thomas bus with the 345 and Allison AT500. Was a fun bus to drive.

[@dantrocks]

I currently work in the factory that made that Bus. We now make "Guy Wire". However, The Carpenter Bus Factory is still standing. The largest building is. My Dad worked there for many years when I was a child. It was Located (Partially still is) in Mitchell, IN.

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

When I was in kindergarten around 1991/92, some of these Loadstar buses were actually still in use! I remember seeing them pulling into the bus area among the newer S-series and the Ford B series buses.

[@jedk9523]

when i was a kid i rid on one of these, for only a few years though.

[@retrochad]

Tyler, the problems with most of my old tires is the sidewalls cracking due to the intense sunlight so I don't think a retread would work....they actually do have good tread still. I think I will need to get all new ones because of this.

[@klc317]

I enjoy these bus videos! Kind of strange to see that old style in an automatic trans. When I was riding the bus in school (early-mid 80s) all ours were ford 370s and chevy 366 with manual trans and part time drivers/full time farmers and house-wives as drivers...good times!

[@roadgrader97]

Nice video. I live about an hour from Mitchell Indiana where the Carpenter body works factory was.

[@coolbluelights]

Always nice to see updates on these buses Chad!

[@retrochad]

Yes you are right...I think Carpenter Body Works had a stock of International chassis on hand and maybe there were few requests for this old fashioned chassis style so it took until 1979 for them to build the bus body and assemble the vehicle. The title is based off of the chassis so the vehicle is known as a '78 International.

[@retrochad]

Thanks, I saw Rotella 15W40 diesel oil at the parts store so I will keep it in mind. This engine I think has extremely worn main bearings/rod bearings, you can hear the growl when it starts up and oil pressure really drops when it gets hot, so I want to try and get the best oil protection I can. I had put in Castrol 10W30 at the last oil change and I don't think it is up to this task.

[@retrochad]

Yes I do although I haven't made any more repair progress. I am going to borrow the distributor off of it to help out this bus. The 80 international's distributor has a Pertronix Ignitor in it.

[@creativetux]

That is awesome. Return to the road as an awesome camper!

[@henrys3629]

These buses remind me of the summer camp movies of the 70's and the old 60's GMC bus we used in scouts back in the 80's & 90's. That thing was classic, yet it made it to Disneyland and back to Oregon (barely)

[@patrickrichmond9896]

retrochad, I hope you are doing ok. I guess you are not on Facebook, but I still love old buses. I feel stupid about not letting know about the truck shows that these buses are well qualified to be on display in. I know that western Texas is quite a distance from Kirkwood, MO. I think you used to be on Facebook. Next National antique truck show will be right at the end of May of next year. This is my new account.

[@txstreetman]

Hey Chad, Chalks bus parts in Houston still shows 345 parts in their catalogs... I use them for my 1987 International bus which is fixing to get a motor transplant. I am changing the 7.3 V8 to a DT360 I6 out of a 1990. Yes, the DT uses a doghouse.

[@gajda1984]

been waiting for a bus video!

[@yanni6556]

Good to see the buses are back!

[@TheMultiGunMan]

★★★★★ I really enjoy your vehicle videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@Maliktevin1643]

9:08 Thursday June 15th, 1978

[@retrochad]

Tyler, it may take until my retirement age till I can have enough spare time to get some of the buses into a road-worthy condition! My first step was to rescue the buses from the junkyard or the possibility of that and to at least get the engines running. However all of the jobs I do for pay and all of the maintenance/repairs on the essential working vehicles such as the cars and the tractor takes so much of my time I don't have as much time for the buses as I might like.

[@jaretbaughman]

Glad to see the buses are back, cant wait for the next video :)

[@littleexperience2.._._._._._..]

That bus looks classic! If this bus was restored, it could be back on service again.

[@BggstHm]

wishing you the best Chad and I hope you do come back to KZbin soon especially with the bus videos :-)

[@susanhaloe2467]

I love you retro Chad! I have just subscribed to your channel. I used to ride the old Chevy and Ford Wayne school buses in the early 70s people. Brother we love you you got lots of fans!

[@retrochad]

I am not sure...I am going to try NAPA as they seem to have more parts for heavy vehicles. I may have to use a pipe adaptor on the heater hose outputs to connect to a smaller diameter hose to create a bypass around the heater system. The Ford bus will need a new fuel pump to get going again.

[@txstreetman]

Chad, Rotella has a 10w30 variant of it's Rotella T oil. I use it in my car for the time being, and it is great stuff!!!

[@wa4aos]

Hi Chad, Missing your videos.. I hope you are doing well.. Regards, Glenn

[@clubcar98]

Where would you even buy new coolant hoses for something like this? Id imagine you'd just have to buy bulk hose by the foot... The power washer really will help out and it looks like it has on that engine! I hope to see the other buses up and running soon, especially that old Ford one.

[@jesseterrell1415]

Anyone know what happened to this guy? Hope he’s ok. I’d love to see an update on these buses. Anyone know if he created another channel?

[@rsprockets7846]

Me too

[@TylersNeighborhoodGarage]

Well, I notice that although the chassis date is June 78, the body completion date is 3/1/79, so technically it was completed as a bus in 1979. International probably built chassis ahead to always have a supply on hand. Have you considered picking a bus and upgrading it in order to drive it on the road? I think you have to get a CDL but that's no big deal.

[@retrochad]

The fans are doing fine, I actually got a Kmart box fan with metal blade so I will try and make a video of it.

[@Hemihappy]

Rotella dropped their Zinc levels drastically in the last year or so. My UOA's showed it. Its a crying shame darn EPA. Champion All Fleet T has about the highest levels of Zinc that I could find around here.

[@retrochad]

The title is based off of the chassis and not the body so it is titled as a '78 International and not a '79 Carpenter. 1978 was the last year for the old fashioned style Loadstar chassis.

[@TheTarrMan]

Could the inline six cylinder have a duel-radaitor set up with a slot in the middle for the engine?

[@TheBlu04]

I can b early find these things...man I wish I could go back in time and get 4 of them

[@RegalCobra097]

I really like yor bus videos; Keep em coming! Did you ever think about converting one of them into a camper? (Unless you have a drivers license for buses, of course) Would also be a nice video series, too.

[@towrecker]

I would use rotela diesel oil in it chad , as around the year 2000 they really cut the amount of zinc and moly in engine oil , gas and diesel oil , but todays diesel oil has almost exactly the same amounts of both that gas engine oil used to have , so in the old v8's I run the rotela diesel oil , the zinc , and moly are a dry lubricant in the oil , without it on a pushrod v8 you get early cam and lifter failure ...just advice , search about it , tons of reading out there about it ...

[@ford9572]

A good antifreeze to use that I do is Prestone 50/50, I've been using it for years Chad, You might want to thoroughly flush the radiator, That way when you put new antifreeze in, It'll work great, Maybe you might also want to pressure test the cooling system just to be sure that it works as it should and doesn't leak, Good choice for the pressure washer, Honda makes great power equipment.

[@MrRudedog97]

I was wondering if you had or could make more videos of this bus, the Loadstar is so hard to find

[@58stevenb]

Interesting Bus, Didn't know that they had automatic transmissions available.

[@redneckbryon]

What are your future plans for the buses?

[@haoyang8745]

My grandma still have VHSs.

[@0013Evan]

I agree with towrecker the Lucas really does work it's expensive but well worth it

[@Chrshv80]

Can't wait to see it. :D

[@Trance88]

It's cool that you have a bus "collection". It's too bad you don't have some trails or a private road you can just drive em down. Ever thought about getting this one road ready?

[@NWB1989]

Just by looking at the bus, something tells me that since it's a '78 model bus, it should've had a newer International chassis instead of an older one.

[@retrochad]

It is although it hasn't been driven for a while.

[@bowserkidgamingAmaya]

retrochad how much was the bus

[@billysworld]

Hope all is well haven’t seen any updates on your busses

[@railroadskater2896]

Nice paint job on the stepwell.

[@txstreetman]

1978 was the last model year of the loadstar. The next year was the into to the S-Series chassis...

[@jdtankvideos2584]

how many school busses do you have and can you do a full video about your school busses just asking my friend

[@tubasousaphone13]

I like the way better video quality! But a thing you should take in consideration, if you are to get new tires, you should think about just getting them retreaded. All they do is take the old tire and shave off all of the old rubber and apply new rubber to the tire.

[@retrochad]

Right now it is at least to get the engines running as good as I can...I may try to get at least some of the buses to a road-worthy condition but it is a big job. I never intend on getting rid of any of them. I at least want to get them running well enough to drive around my own property now.

[@susanhaloe2467]

Retrochad: Glad to see somebody has an interest in the old buses like I do. :).I used to go to school in the old school buses. Chevy and Ford Wayne GMC all of the late sixties early seventies school buses. I used to jump the fence just so I could ride the buses and hear the sound of the engines I'm almost 53 and I sure miss the sound of those school buses Chad. love you. PS how does your wife feel about the school buses? I just want one so I could look at it in the yard ever thought about getting a Wayne School Bus?

[@audvidgeek]

The chassis sat around the Carpenter factory for 9 months before they put a body on it, WOW!

[@9751asd]

hows the 74 GMC, 80 International, 69 International,71 International and 59 Ford all doing?

[@anthonytorres5648]

I hope he still alive haven't seen any videos from him in a while

[@koioo2]

i would like see a update in to cleaning.also search for rust maby polish it with rubber compound

[@Gazpacho8]

I actually work for international. I've never seen a bus in service with a gas engine of any sort. I worked on an old 1991 international bus with a blue bird body in really good shape last week, it had the dta360 engine in it.

[@kellybright1309]

nice school bus. I'm a bus fan my self. ☺

[@GMC6523]

dose this bus run yet is it going to be used a reaguler bus or a camper insted

[@theblindredneck747]

Retro chad Could you give us an update on your 1980 S1700 load star Last I remember you had to put a new frost plug in it.

[@rsprockets7846]

Is retrochad still around?

[@travisbabbitt6249]

I Really like your bus videos wen will you make a new one ?

[@jakecollins3669]

Bus #78-2 -- 1978 International LoadStar 1700/Carpenter Classic (MaxxForce 7)

[@GMC6523]

do you think these buses will ever be restored yet?

[@mikeostreet]

Hey Chad, your videos are great! Very useful. We are in Austin, and have a 71 loadstar that was converted into shortbus/ flatbed, and have converted it into the Funky Food Bus. We will be making videos to share soon. My question for you is about the power steering. Nobody seems to know what kind to put in and is worried about causing damage. Do you know what I should use?

[@SpiritsoftheWolf]

you should use power steering fluid in power steering pumps

[@condimentking14]

Classic man good find

[@northhankspin]

one thing i noticed off the bat was it had a short nose.

[@edgarayalaalvis8768]

Que belleza de bus❤

[@towrecker]

and speaking of the buses , you know , you should turn one into a motorhome , so what if it took you 10 years to complete it , then you could have something in the end that you would enjoy , and have a reason to drive around ...

[@retrochad]

Hi, the Ford bus will need a new fuel pump, I will try to get to it next.

[@kg4yhr]

shell rotella should really help but use the 15w40 not castrol that is BP thats why i dont use it anymore

[@veulmet]

I rode carpenter buses most of my school days since I live just 30 or 40 miles north of Mitchell indiana where they were made. Company went out of business late 80s or early 90s.

[@mooch1441]

How are all your Lakewood Fans doing?

[@MrVstsksjr2004]

Cool

[@towrecker]

10w30 is to thin for a tired engine really , also Castrol is nothing more than a name on a building in New York city , they actually do not own any refineries , so who knows what the oil was or who packaged it for them , their quality because of that fact really goes up and down , anyways , add some oil stabilizer like lucas to the oil change , that will help cushion the tired bottom end , it works well , just avoid stuff like STP , as it tends to sludge up unlike the lucas stuff ...

[@saftlinerc2]

Nice Vid!

[@thetrader7613]

I remember you

[@condimentking14]

I used to have a crown bus had a 2stroke Detroit diesel stick shift

[@jomaricko.pardito9059]

Update please, sir ☺️

[@josephheston9238]

Shouldn't the 1977-79 Loadstars have the fiberglass tilt hood?

[@tankstoner8496]

Joseph Heston In a perfect world, all Loadstars built after November 1971 would've had the fiberglass tilt cowl as International Harvester wanted to retire the 'tired-looking' butterfly cowl for 1972 but the latter proved to be more popular and cheaper than the new fiberglass tilt cowl.

[@sheilabrammell3016]

Tank Stoner in 99 or 9

[@gajda1984]

DT466s had and have a doghouse on the loadstars, S series and the rest of the medium duty trucks to this day.

[@rap9644]

I have seen on other like this bus

[@kg4yhr]

you need to find a thomas buss

[@stephenswift5531]

The load star series school buses are scrapped

[@paulaandreasoto9333]

school bus

[@stephenswift5531]

The new school buses run on diesel fuel

[@mrceleb2006]

This should have had a Diesel engine!

[@susanhaloe2467]

I don't like the diesel engines I remember I cried when they came out with them I like the old Allison tranny's